


North Vision

by failsafe (orphan_account)



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, Farmer Kita Shinsuke, Feel-good, Fluff, M/M, Minor Miya Osamu/Suna Rintarou, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-03
Updated: 2020-09-03
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:00:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26268394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/failsafe
Summary: Your first day at Onigiri Miya takes a turn when a pretty rice farmer drops off his supply for the shop.
Relationships: Kita Shinsuke/Reader
Comments: 16
Kudos: 152





	North Vision

"Hey, where should I put these?"

You turn to the door and catch the eyes of a boy. Soft gray hair, kind eyes, strong arms, drops of sweat running down his temple. Pretty. You're staring too long.

"It's the rice," he shifts his weight from one foot to the other, subtly making you aware of the weight of the boxes in his arms.

“Oh? Oh! Sorry, right here!" you point to the closest container, keeping your eyes away from his. You watch closely as he walks closer and puts the boxes into the container though.

"There you have it." He taps twice on the boxes. "They're ready to use." He slowly stands up to face you, letting out a soft grunt.

"Mm-hm, okay, thank you so much!" you reply, still staring at the boxes, feeling like your body could not hold the impact of another eye contact.

"You're new here, right?"

You look up to him and narrow your eyes, surprised at the attention, "How do yo—

"My favorite farmer!!!" Osamu laughs as he walks in with arms stretched, ready to welcome his old friend. The farmer chuckles, returning the warmth of Osamu's greeting.

A light bulb goes on in your head as the boys catch up with each other. During the onboarding yesterday, Osamu told you about the deliveries you have to handle and the suppliers you will be in contact with. This one's name is, if you're not mistaken...

"Kita, meet our new operations manager." Osamu motions for you to come closer.

You give Osamu a half-smile. “Please, manager is too much when there’s only five of us here.” You take a step forward and introduce yourself to Kita. He repeats your name, making sure that he gets it right. You're nodding and smiling, enough to be friendly, but not too much to let your overexcitement come through the surface.

"Nice to meet you. Hope Samu is treating you well," he smirks. You chuckle, then explain how you and Osamu have been friends for a couple of years and how he was kind enough to offer you this job and how grateful you are.

Kita squeezes Osamu's shoulder, "That's Samu for you, always ready to lend a hand. My favorite customer to this day." There is genuine pride in his voice.

Osamu rolls his eyes. "Fine, I'll take you guys to dinner sometime."

You and Kita laugh while Osamu shakes his head. All your nervousness leaves you along with the laughter. Why were you so nervous in the first place, anyway? He was not flirting, he was not even doing anything other than his job. He's just a friend of a friend. Just another pretty boy out of your league.

"Actually, let's do that this weekend if you two are available?" Kita looks at Osamu, then you, then back at Osamu. You lock on Osamu, aware that you can't be the first one to say yes. Osamu rubs his chin, "Hmm, yeah, I think I can do that."

Kita turns to you, eyes wide and waiting. "Sure, I'd love that," you smile at your new friend.

"That's a plan, then. I have more packages to deliver so I'll get going. Text me the details, ok?" Kita points to Samu as he walks out.

"Sure thing. I'll bring Rintaro." Osamu waves. "See ya soon."

"See ya soon." Kita turns his head in your direction, "And you too."

You're caught off guard, unable to pull a reaction other than a weak smile that you only manage to make right after he disappears from sight. You sigh in embarrassment, then look at the other grey-haired boy.

"Samu..."

"You're hopeless," he laughs knowingly as he walks beside you.

* * *

You've been standing in front of your closet for 30 minutes, shifting through your nice dresses, scheming a strategy in your head. Osamu told you that although Kita is very receptive, it's best to be blunt with him. He told you that it was impossible for Kita not to notice your interest in him, and it’s only a matter of how you choose to move forward. He thinks you should just ask him out. You are admittedly a nervous person, but you also know how to ask for what you want. The idea does not seem too scary, and Osamu would never set you up for failure. You’ll test the waters tonight, and if everything goes well, you promise yourself that you’ll do it.

You finally choose your lucky outfit: a lace skater dress in the color of your hair. Fancy, but not too showy. You put on your matching coat and sneakers and check yourself out in the mirror one last time. You put your hands on your cheeks and inhale as deep as you can, like the air was courage. Show time.

* * *

"I thought we said 7.30, why are you all already here?" You take off your coat and pull out the only chair left at the table, seating yourself next to Kita and in front of Suna.

"We did not plan this, I swear. We just don't have anything better to do, I guess." Samu throws an empathic look at you, aware that their being early throws you off. You thought you had at least 15 minutes to mentally prepare for the night. For Kita.

"Have you been here before?" Kita moves his chair closer to you, sliding the menu in your direction so both of you can read it together. "Everything looks great, I can't choose..." He trails off, eyes glazing over the list of meals available for the night. Just being in his presence is enough to make your hands cold and your senses heightened. The smell of his perfume, the gentler scent of his shampoo layering underneath it, the fabric of his shirt touching your arm, the rhythm of his breathing—all hitting you at once. You try reading the menu, but can’t help stealing a glance. You pick the worst—or maybe the best—moment to do so for not a second after, his head moves to return your gaze, your noses inches away from each other.

“Have you decided yet?” He asks matter-of-factly, unaware of the heat pooling in your chest, face, and someplace else you’d rather ignore. You turn to face your friends instead.

“What are you guys having?”

“Our usual. The chef is a friend of mine and everything she makes is exquisite.” Osamu lights up. Suna nods in agreement.

“Can you choose for me, please? I’m in the mood for something warm and a little spicy.”

“You are, aren’t you?” Osamu earns a glare from you that he ignores. “Kita, what do you want?”

“Agedashi tofu to start, beef katsu curry rice, and cold ocha, please.”

Osamu points to Kita and looks at you, “See? Decisive.”

You roll your eyes impatiently. “Can you just place our orders, please, we’re hungry.”

“Alright.” Osamu raises his hands and stands up. “I’m going to see if my friend is here too. Rin, you’re coming?” Suna reaches for Osamu’s hand and walks towards the back of the cafe with him.

You watch them walk away for a second, then… _Well, shit._ You suddenly realize that you’re now left alone with the person who makes you forget how to think. Or speak. Or blink. Breathe, even. _Did Samu do this on purpose?!_ You start panicking inside.

“So, how did you know Osamu?” Kita turns his body towards you, giving you his full attention.

You turn to face him too, despite feeling more exposed than ever. “Boring story, really. I was a very loyal customer of Onigiri Miya and hung out there a lot. Samu was always friendly from the start and since I was there a lot, somewhere along the way we just became friends. We started hanging out every other weekend, he introduced me to Suna, a couple of his high school VBC teammates… You were the team’s captain, right?”

Kita just nodded a few times, not wanting to lose track of the story.

“Yeah, we got pretty close in the last couple of years. So when I talked to him about getting laid off a few weeks back, he offered me this job, even though my former job literally had nothing to do with managing an onigiri shop.” You chuckled your last few words, surprised at how relaxed you feel now.

“What was your former job?”

“I worked in communications.” Your voice strains, like the fact makes you uncomfortable.

“Hm. I guess he really trusts you then.” Kita offers you a slight smile.

“Well, I just hope I don’t disappoint.” You tuck your hair behind your ear. Something to distract you from his smile.

“I think you’ll do great.”

“So, how about you?” You follow instantly, not letting the compliment—if you can call it that—linger too long in the air, afraid that you will blush. “What takes you to the rice farm?”

He shifts in his seat before answering. “Well, just like Samu, I knew that volleyball was not something I wanted to pursue after high school. I decided to follow my granny’s step and started helping take care of her farm. It’s been great.”

You nod along, encouraging him to go on. You take a mental note about his closeness to his grandmother. 

“Taking care of our land and water and providing food for people around me really roots me to where I am. It feels like the thing I am meant to do.” His conviction and sincerity is palpable. 

“Must be great to have figured out your purpose in life.” You smiled, mostly in awe and a little jealous.

“It’s really all in the journey.” His voice mellow. “I only end up here because the things I’ve been through lead me here. The destination is simply the result of the journey.”

“You’re secretly a romantic, aren’t you?”

“You got me,” Kita laughs. Making him laugh feels like a victory that you can’t help but laugh too.

“Food will be here in 5 minutes,” Osamu interrupts your laughter with his announcement.

You don’t want to take your eyes off of Kita yet, but he has already turned away to face Osamu.

“So is your friend here?”

“Yeah, but she was busy, so we didn’t talk much.” Osamu sits back on his seat.

Suna waves to get your and Kita’s attention, “Hey, do you guys want to come with us to see a movie? There’s a new horror film we’ve been wanting to see, but… are kind of afraid to.” He gestures to Osamu. Osamu wraps his arm around Suna’s neck, pretending to strangle him.

“Maybe next time. Can’t stay out too late, I have to work early tomorrow.” Kita sounds apologetic. You’re a little disappointed, but relieved that the night won’t last longer than you are prepared for.

Suna pokes at your hand repeatedly. “You like horror.”

“Yeah, but I don’t want to be a third wheel.” You shrug.

“Fine. No free ride home for you tonight then.” Osamu snarks at you.

“I have my pickup so I can take her home. You guys go on your movie date.” Kita makes his offer sound like a statement.

You turn to him quickly. “Is that not too much trouble?” 20 minutes with him in an enclosed space? Oh, boy. “I can take the bus.”

Kita gives you a steady gaze. “I’ll take you home.” His steely eyes are reassuring.

“Thank you so much.” You look away before finishing your sentence, not letting him see you blushing.

“Food’s here!!!” Osamu rubs his hands excitedly as a waiter walks towards your table with a tray in each hand.

* * *

“Let me know if the film’s any good.” You hug Suna goodbye after putting your coat on. 

He ruffles your hair and smiles. “Of course.”

You turn to hug Osamu. “Thanks for dinner. See you at work.”

“Good luck,” he whispers in your ear in jest. You pinch the side of his stomach. He scrunches his nose in pain and softly punches your arm.

“Have fun, guys. Thank you for the dinner.” Kita waves the boys goodbye as he leads you to his car. A black Suzuki Carry that looks like it’s been put to good use. You climb inside and put your seatbelt on. Kita asks for the directions to your place and you explain it to him as he starts the car. 

“Got it. Are you comfortable?”

“Perfect.”

Kita starts driving out of the parking lot and into the night. You realize you are not comfortable at all, actually. Not with this sight of Kita leaning back in the driver’s seat, his right hand steady on the steering wheel, left hand makes a loose fist, with his thumb resting on the lower part of the wheel, all focused and calm. You feel another twirling knot in your stomach. Your eyes slowly trace his thighs up to his face, and when you reach his brown eyes... He catches you staring. Again.

“Eyes on the road, please.” You turn to face the window, forcefully closing your eyes tight and pressing your lips together like it would make the embarrassment go away.

“I’ll keep my eyes on the road if you do the same,” Kita chuckles.

 _What a tease._ You bring one hand to your face and start massaging the bridge of your nose, sinking deeper in your shame. The air around you feels heavier, filled with tension. You try to brush it off by restarting the conversation.

“I feel like I know most of Samu’s friends by now, but how come we’ve never met before?” 

“Because I mostly hang out with other farmers and my granny’s friends.”

A soft _aww_ escapes your lips before you are even aware.

“I usually catch up with Samu during the drop offs or if there’s a volleyball match we want to watch.”

“That explains. Before I was an employee, I rarely visited the shop when there’s a match because it was always so crowded.” 

“We have met before, though.”

You shake your head. “Mm, no. I would have remembered you.”

“I mean, I have seen you around the shop before.”

“No way.” No way you caught his eyes. No way you were memorable enough for him to remember. No way you have never noticed him noticing you before.

“You always sit in the quietest corner of the shop, always alone, always either reading or writing. You’re hard to miss.”

You just want to scream into the sky. You just stare at him instead, waiting for more explanation. Kita looks at you for a moment, like he could hear the question in your head, before moving his focus back on the road. That half-smile again.

“Sometimes I would hang out with Samu behind the counter and observe the customers with him.” He explains.

“Weirdos.” You jest, smoothly hiding your true feelings: flustered, flattered, and a little bit more confident about your chances. 

Kita chuckles. “Mind if I play some music?” he asks as he reaches to turn on the player.

“Would be interesting to see what kind of music you like.”

He hums in acknowledgement. The first track of Fleetwood Mac’s Tusk, Over & Over, plays.

“Oh my, who would have guessed that you’re an old soul?” you tease him.

“You know recognizing this song means you’re one too, right?” Kita teases right back.

_Could you ever need me_

_And would you know how_

_Don't waste our time_

_Tell me now_

_All you have to do_

_Is speak out my name_

_And I would come running_

_Anyway_

“It’s my granny’s cassette, by the way. I just happen to like it too. It’s perfect for a night drive.” Kita is too earnest to be snarky.

“I love them too.” And so are you. You start singing along softly. 

_And I said_

_Could it be me?_

_Could it really, really be?_

_Over and over_

_Could it really, really be?_

You haven’t listened to the song for so long that you’re surprised at how much it resonates right at this moment. 

_Don't turn me away_

_And don't let me down_

_What can I do_

_To keep you around_

As the song finishes, you clear your throat—and head—and play with your fingers.

“You mentioned that you work on the farm with your granny. Do you also live with her?”

“Yeah. I’ve always lived with her. She introduced me to volleyball too.” 

You’re nodding as Kita makes a left turn.

“What about you? You live alone?”

“Yeah. M—” You stop your reflex to overshare.

“Hmm?”

You shake your head. “You ever miss playing volleyball?”

“Not really. I think I got everything I needed out of volleyball, especially the strength I need to be a farmer.” He rubs on his upper arm, and you have to physically restrain yourself from trying to touch it. 

“You know what, I’m going to ask Samu to show me videos of your team’s matches next time I come over. Must be adorable.”

“That could be fun. Count me in.” Kita has no reason to be nervous or ashamed of his younger years. “Nothing adorable about 12 tall boys running around fighting for a ball and yelling at each other though.”

You huff a laugh. “You’re right. I clearly know nothing about volleyball.”

One more turn and you will be home. You think about the plan you have concocted earlier tonight and build up the courage. Even if he says no, you feel like he’s going to let you down easy. 

“You can drop me there,” you point to a spot underneath a tree. “My place is right next to it.”

You turn to him as the car stops. “Th—

“I’ll walk you to your door.” Kita has already unfastened his seat belt before you could respond. You unfasten yours, get out of the car, and start walking beside him.

“This is me.” You get your keys out of your bag. “Thanks so much for the ride.”

You both stop right in front of your door.

“No problem. Good night.”

“Good night. Drive safe.”

Kita nods and turns to walk away. You’re staring at his back. 

_Come on. This is your chance._

You open your mouth and before anything comes out, Kita turns around and you lock eyes. 

“Let’s do this again sometime.”

You tilt your head. “Dinner with the boys?”

Kita shakes his head. “Just you and me.”

You can’t hide your smile. “I’d love that.”

“Great.” He softly smiles then turns back around and gets into his car.

Once he gets out of sight, you look up to the stars and laugh.

* * *

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> hello, i'm a writer who does not write fiction and definitely did not expect my first fiction to be a contribution to the Haikyuu fandom, but here we are. just in case it was not clear: the title is a play on Kita's name, meaning 'north' + 'night vision' + and how he is, well, a sight to behold. i left it open-ended so i can pick it up again if i feel like it. let me know what you think!


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